By Gloria Attah
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has accused the Federal Government of applying double standards in its response to recent school abductions in Oyo and Borno states, alleging unequal attention to victims based on geography.
The group condemned the kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers in both incidents, describing them as further evidence of Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation and what it called the government’s inability to adequately protect citizens.
In a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, the coalition said it was concerned about what it described as “selective outrage, unequal attention and discriminatory security responses” to tragedies across the country.
CNG said about 46 schoolchildren and teachers were abducted on May 15, 2026, from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, while 42 pupils were also kidnapped the same day from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
Charanchi said the Oyo incident triggered swift federal intervention, including high-level visits and security assurances, but alleged that the Borno victims had not received comparable attention.
“The Oyo incident rightly attracted national outrage and immediate attention from the Federal Government. However, on the same day, 42 pupils were abducted in Borno State, yet the victims have largely been abandoned to silence and neglect,” he said.
He noted that following the Oyo attack, the Federal Government reportedly deployed a high-powered delegation, including the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff to the President, and approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards for affected communities.
“But what has been done for the traumatised communities in Borno? Where are the emergency deployments and federal delegations? Where are the special interventions and assurances?” he queried.
The coalition insisted that Nigeria must not operate a “selective security system” where the value of lives depends on location or political considerations.
While acknowledging efforts in Oyo State, CNG called for equal urgency and coordinated national response to all victims of insecurity.
The group stressed that every Nigerian child deserves equal protection, regardless of whether they are in Oyo, Borno, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto or Kebbi states.
It further questioned whether the federal response would have been as swift if the victims were in a remote Northern community.
“Is the extraordinary attention to Oyo connected to the fact that the President comes from the South-West while repeated atrocities in Northern Nigeria are becoming normalised?” the statement asked.
CNG clarified that it was not calling for reduced attention to Oyo State, but for equal national response to all victims of insecurity across the country.
“For years, Northern communities have buried thousands of innocent citizens while villages were overrun and children kidnapped with little sustained national outrage,” it said.
The coalition warned that inconsistent security responses risk deepening public frustration and weakening national unity.
It urged the Federal Government to intensify rescue operations in both Oyo and Borno states, strengthen national security strategy, and improve protection for schools and rural communities.
CNG also called for intelligence-led operations against terrorist networks and long-term measures to dismantle criminal groups nationwide.
“The blood of innocent Nigerian children must never become a political calculation,” the group said, adding that justice, accountability and equal treatment are necessary to restore public confidence in government security efforts.
